Kimchi Fried Rice

Ain't nothing wrong with Quick Cooking when you're busy as I've been lately, but I should clarify what I consider quick. Given that I like to cook as a method of unwinding, I like to spend time in the kitchen. A quick dinner takes under 45 minutes to assemble from prep-to-table, and often it's a one pot dish (minimizing fish-washing time is equally important when I think of making something on the fly). It can be as simple as a soft-boiled egg on a bed of greens, or in this case, Kimchee Fried Rice. It's not as fast as nuking dinner, but I believe we can all afford to put 45 minutes towards what goes into our gullets, no?

Here is what Quick Cooking is not about. It's not about taking a can of something and pouring it over some frozen veg. I think pre-prepared sauces are a total waste of money. Look at the ingredients for a Pad-Thai sauce the next time you're at the grocery store. You'll notice that there's not much to it (tamarind paste, chilis, peanut oil),  and there's also a bunch of stuff that doesn't need to be there (MSG, so much sugar!). My motto in the kitchen is "You can do it," because you really can, it will cost less, and you can use the money you saved and spend it on better ingredients.

Start with your pantry. All you need is a few basics. I always have these four ingredients around the house: fish sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil. Keep around some different cooking oils. I like peanut, canola, grapeseed, and olive oil. If you've got any variation of these things, there is a lot you can do, and it won't demand much of your wallet or your time.

When I can't think of what to make, I go back to this version of Kimchi Fried Rice. I often make it for lunch and then go back and make it again for dinner. It's so good, so dead-easy, and very versatile to boot. The virtuous can use healthy brown rice, and the capricious can embellish however they see fit: crack an egg on top, throw in some chopped shrimp, garnish with chopped peanuts. It's not as fast as pressing "Start," but if you make enough for leftovers, that microwave may come in handy afterall. 

Kimchi Fried Rice

I always use leftover rice. It's stickier than fresh, fluffy rice, and a good way to clear leftovers out of the fridge. Don't be afraid to use store-bought kimchi, a spicy Korean-style pickled napa cabbage. There's a ton of good varieties at Asian Markets, and if you feel up to it you can always make it yourself. This works really well with Daikon Kimchi, too. I garnish with some peppery watercress, and prefer to make it with a nutty short-grain brown rice.

Ingredients for Fried Rice:

2 cups leftover rice (from 1 cup uncooked rice), short-grain brown or jasmine

2 Tbs. canola or grapeseed oil

2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 inch finger of fresh ginger, finely minced

1/2 of a medium onion, diced

1 small stalk of celery, diced

1 Tbs. soy sauce

a splash of sesame oil (no more than 1/4 teaspoon)

a few splashes of fish sauce

1/2 cup of chopped kimchi, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup chopped scallions, plus more reserved for garnish

2-3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Ingredients for Garnishes:

a big handful of fresh watercress, washed and dried

a few sprigs of cilantro

1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

(kimchi & and scallions, as mentioned above)

Directions:

1. Heat 2 Tbs. of oil in a wok or large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the garlic and ginger first (yes first, so work fast), and stir about for 30 seconds until fragrant. 

2. Add the onion and celery and stir, cooking for about 5 minutes until the onion and celery are softened and turning translucent.

3. To this, add the rice, using the back of your wooden spoon to break up the rice if it's sticky. Add the soy sauce and a few splashes of fish sauce and sesame oil, stir again to incorporate, then cover with a lid and turn the head down to medium and cook for another 2 minutes. Taste to see if it is too your liking, adding more soy sauce and fish sauce if it's not quite there yet.

4. Take the lid off of the wok and turn of the heat. Add the beaten egg and toss again, (if you're worried about the egg being raw, you can always leave the heat on...but do so on the lowest setting possible). The egg will help bind everything together, making for a nice sticky dish. Add the kimchi and scallions, toss again.

5. Divide amongst 4 bowls, and everyone can garnish as they like with the watercress, kimchi, cilantro, and chopped peanuts.

Yields: 4 servings. Keeps for a day, best eaten right away, but also quite good when it's cold (in the way leftover pizza can be). 

Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta w/ Spiced Oranges

Like many who love to cook, I go through periods where I just-don't-feel-like-it. I make excuses: too tired, too busy, too hungry, etc. Maybe I botched a cake or some mayonaise I was whipping into a frenzy wouldn't emulsify. Often there is no good reason for it, it just settles over me like the rainy season in Portand and the last thing I want to do is look at a whisk. When I succumb this deeply to sloth, the only way to out of it to try out something new or tackle an ingredient that's been intimidating me. This time I decided to head it off at the pass by addressing my fear of cooking with gelatin.

I know I am not alone. Anyone who ever looked in the face of a lunchroom tray to find a fruit salad suspended inside a quivering square of Jell-O may already know the various offenses gelatin has committed. Americans in general tend to shy away from anything that jiggles. In the 50s, molds and aspics were all the rage and my uneducated guess is that its faddishness contributed directly to it unpopularity today. These dishes were smartly given French names like 'Crab en Gelee.,' but one glance into a vintage Joy of Cooking reveals how dated these recipes seem. I doubt many parents of my parents' generation were boiling their own bones a la Julia Child. Let's do the math here: 1 Can of Tomato Soup + 1 Can of Beef Consome + 1 tin of crabmeat= a dish bordering on inedible. We're looking at over 40 years of abuse. If it's gelatin redemption you seek, those recipes are the last place you'll find it. 

Clearly gelatin isn't the enemy here, it's the ways in which we're accustomed to using it. It has many advantages. Because it's flavorless, it won't overpower the flavor of your star ingredients. When used properly, it yields dishes that are light while lending a structural elegance that richer ingredients might typically provide. Panna cotta is a great example of this. It's light but just as smooth and decadent as any custard or pudding. What better place to tackle my gelatin-phobia?

Panna cotta is so simple to make that I wondered at first if it was noteworthy enough to write about, but when you taste it you'll see why I'm so crazy about it. It takes all of 15 minutes to cook, and sets up for a few hours in the fridge while you continue on with the rest of your day. Because it's so easy, let the ingredients do the talking. This is the time to splurge on that nice, local cream at the market and use your favorite honey. I prefer to keep it very simple: good cream, tangy greek yogurt, a little vanilla, some orange flower water. If you're extra lazy, you don't even need to unmold them to serve. Enjoyed alongside a small bowl of spiced oranges, this panna cotta is a bright and refreshing reintroduction to the new year. 

Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta w/ Spiced Oranges

In an effort to keep with the lighter fare I've been cooking since the holidays (perhaps somebody overdid it at all those Christmas parties...) I use tangy Greek Yogurt here in place of more heavy cream. The point is to have something light, smooth, and barely sweet to play against the spicy sweetness of the orange compote. Very good with a little glass of prosecco!

Ingredients for the Panna Cotta:

1 cup good heavy cream

1 cup whole plain Greek yogurt

3 Tbs. honey

1 Tbs. sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 teaspoon of orange flower water (optional)

1 packet Knox gelatin

3 Tbs. cold water

Ingredients for the Spiced Oranges:

3-4 heirloom navel oranges (about one orange per person)

2 Tbs. cold water

2 Tbs. honey

1/2 cinnamon stick

2 black peppercorns

1 cardamom pod

2 cloves

1 star anise

1 1/2 inch nub of fresh ginger, peeled

Directions:

1. To make the Panna Cotta: In a small saucepean, heat the heavy cream, honey, and sugar until the mixture is dissolved and very warm. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and orange flower water.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Allow it to set for 10 minutes.

3. Lightly oil 4 small cups or ramekins w/ a pastry brush and a bit of canola oil. You can get creative here and use pretty glass tumblers, champagne flutes, or teacups if you like. If you'd like to unmold them, I recommend using ramekins.

4. Pour the warm cream over the gelatin and stir to combine. You don't want to whisk it too hard or have any bubbles in the mixture (or the panna cotta will set with these bubbles), so stir lightly. Test that the gelatin granules have completely disolved by rubbing a bit of the mixture between your thumb and forefinger. Stir in the greek yogurt until the mixture is completely smooth.

5. Divide the panna cotta mixture evenly into your prepared cups and place in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.

6. To make the Spiced Oranges, supreme the oranges with a sharp paring knife. Remove the white pith and peel, then cut out the segments carefully with your knife over a small mixing bowl to collect the juice. This is the only time-consuming part of the entire recipe, I swear! When you've removed all the segments, squeeze whatever juice is left from the orange scraps into the bowl. When you're done, you should have between a 1/4 and 1/2 cup of orange juice. Set the orange segments aside into a serving bowl and put the juice into a small saucepan.

7. Heat the orange juice over the medium-low setting along with the water, honey, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, cardamom pod, cloves, star anise, and fresh ginger. Stir to dissolve the honey. Bring to a boil and allow the syrup to simmer for 20 minutes, until the mixture has reduced by half. 

8. When ready, pour the hot syrup over the orange segments (you can strain it if you like, but I think it imbues the oranges with a nice spicy flavor as is). Allow to rest in the fridge at least 30 minutes or until serving.

9. After 2 hours the panna cotta is ready. If unmolding, run a small, sharp paring knife around the sides of the ramekin. Place a serving plate over the top and flip the ramekin upside down. The panna cotta should unlock from the mold and land onto the plate with a satisfying little plop! (If not, don't fret. Just run your knife around the sides again.) Serve immediately with the Spiced Oranges.

Yield: 4 servings. Keeps for up to 2 days in the fridge, perfect for making ahead of time.